Feb. 21, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Irish men’s tennis team had a five-match winning streak snapped by the third-ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State, 7-0. With the loss, Notre Dame moves to 6-5 on the season, while the Buckeyes improve to 10-1 on the season, while also staying unbeaten at home in their last 78 matches. The Irish featured a young singles lineup, as their six singles starters included four sophomores and two freshmen.
Ohio State swept doubles play to take a 1-0 lead, though second and third doubles proved to be close matches. At first doubles Justin Kronauge and Steven Moneke defeated Stephen Havens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Hill Christian School) and Tyler Davis (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan HS), 8-0. It marked the first time Havens and Davis have played together this season.
At second doubles, Ohio State’s Bryan Koniecko and Shuhei Uzawa outlasted Niall Fitzgerald (Wicklow, Ireland/Blackrock College) and Matt Johnson (Portage, Mich./Portage Central HS) by an 8-6 margin.
At third doubles, Matt Allare and Balazs Novak downed the Notre Dame tandem of Santiago Montoya (Austin, Texas/St. Stephen’s) and David Anderson (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich), 8-6.
Ohio State’s Matt Allare took out Niall Fitzgerald at fourth singles, 6-3, 6-4 to give the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead. Fitzgerald cut Allare’s second set lead to 5-4, but the freshman was unable to edge any closer.
Havens made his first career start at first singles, taking on fourth-ranked Bryan Koniecko. Koniecko took the match, 6-4, 6-0 to give Ohio State a 3-0 lead.
Anderson earned his third singles start of the dual season at fifth singles, where he was matched up against 63rd-ranked Balazs Novak. Anderson fought back to tie the first set at 3-3, but Novak pulled away to take the set, 6-3. In the second set, Balazs posted a 6-1 win to push the overall score to 4-0 in favor of Ohio State.
At sixth singles, Davis also made his third singles start of the season as he lined up against 82nd-ranked Shuhei Uzawa. Uzawa won, 6-2, 6-4.
Casey Watt (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) fell at third singles to 23rd-ranked Justin Kronauge, 6-1, 6-4. In the second set, Watt battled cut Kronauge’s lead to a one game margin at 5-4, but Kronauge held on for the 6-4 win.
122nd-ranked Daniel Stahl (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) faced 22nd-ranked Steven Moneke at second singles in the only match of the day that went to a third set. Stahl took the first set, 6-4, but Moneke countered to take the second, 6-2. In the decisive third set, the opponents traded games as the set reached 2-2, but Moneke went on to win four straight for a 6-2 win.
Notre Dame returns home to face 31st-ranked Kentucky on Monday, February 23 at 4:00 p.m.
#3 Ohio State 7, #25 Notre Dame 0OSU Varsity Indoor Tennis Center - Columbus, Ohio
Singles competition1. #4 Bryan Koniecko (OSU) def. Stephen Havens (UND) - 6-4, 6-02. #22 Steven Moneke (OSU) def. #122 Daniel Stahl (UND) - 4-6, 6-2, 6-23. #23 Justin Kronauge (OSU) def. Casey Watt (UND) - 6-1, 6-44. Matt Allare (OSU) def. Niall Fitzgerald (UND) - 6-3, 6-45. #63 Balazs Novak (OSU) def. David Anderson (UND) - 6-3, 6-16. #82 Shuhei Uzawa (OSU) def. Tyler Davis (UND) - 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition1. Justin Kronauge/Steven Moneke (OSU) def. Stephen Havens/Tyler Davis (UND) - 8-02. Bryan Koniecko/Shuhei Uzawa (OSU) def. Niall Fitzgerald/Matt Johnson (UND) - 8-63. Matt Allare/Balazs Novak (OSU) vs. Santiago Montoya/David Anderson (UND) - 8-6
Match Notes:Notre Dame 6-5; National ranking #25Ohio State 10-1; National ranking #3Order of finish: Doubles (1,2*,3); Singles (4,1,5*,6,3,2)
— ND —